Last week, I left you with my rocking chair half-way finished and a bit scary looking.

If you missed Part One, click on over and read that before you finish this post.  If not, carry on.

Adding Comfort to a Wooden Rocking Chair – Part Two

After adding the foam cushioning to my chair, it was time to slipcover it.  I’ll admit, I have never, ever made a slipcover before, and I was really scared.  I was certain that I’d totally screw it up.  Luckily, I studied Pink and Polka Dot’s Laziest Slipcover Ever tutorial, and it answered so many questions for me.  As my usual luck would have it, she released an e-book about two days AFTER I finished tucking, pinning, and sewing.  I haven’t read the e-book yet, but she’s so great that I would highly recommend it if you are working on a slipcover.  I’m sure it will help immensely!

I chose linen for my slipcover.  I know, I know…it wrinkles like crazy.  I have always loved the look and feel of linen, though, and a natural linen is the perfect color for my room.  I bought about 5 yards of fabric and had about a yard leftover.

I started my slip cover by draping fabric over the back of the chair down to the arms in the front and down past the seat on the back.  I pinned it along the sides of the back to start making my slipcover shape.  I made the mistake at first of trying to make it too fitted, but then I remembered it was supposed to be loosey goosey.

Then, I cut a piece of fabric that fit the seat and pinned it to the piece that I had already fitted to the back of the chair.  I really didn’t want to have a seam at that location, but I couldn’t figure out how else to put it together due to the shape of the chair.

I then cut two pieces for the arms.  I pinned each one to the piece of seat fabric, to the big piece that covers the back of the chair, and in front of the arm pieces.

Then, following Pink’s direction, I basted the entire chair by hand, removing the pins as I went along.  She suggested it would be easier to sew on a machine without pins sticking you, and I think she was right about that.  I sewed it together on my machine and made sure it fit on the chair.  It did!

I trimmed the skirt so that it was the same length all around – just barely skimming the bottom of the seat.  I then added a 4-inch ruffle around the bottom.  I also painted white just the part of the chair that is visible from under the slipcover.  Yes, I’m that lazy – I only panted about 1/3 of the chair.

It’s definitely not perfect – far from it, actually!  But, do you know who’s not going to care?  Sweet Baby Emma.  🙂  It is now so comfy and wonderful to sit in.  I can’t wait to just sit and rock my baby girl (and her big brother, if he will still let me).

I’m adding this post to Kimba’s DIY Day, Gina’s Transformation Thursday, Kim’s I Made It! Party, and Traci’s Best DIY Projects of April Party.  Man, do I know how to party or what?

I know it’s been a little quiet around here lately as far as my projects are concerned.  I have been working diligently on decorating my soon-to-be daughter’s nursery.  I must stay that it is coming along beautifully.

And, I’m going to be a tease and not reveal it to you until it is entirely completed.  I’m such a big ‘ole meanie.

There are, however, a few projects here and there that I want to share with you.  One such project is the comfy-fying of my wooden rocking chair.  We bought this chair off of CraigsList back before my son, Zack, was born.  At the time, I just put a blue rocking chair pad on it and called it a day.  It was never soft enough to ease the burden of 3 am feedings on my sore body, so this time I vowed it would be different.

I decided to add some foam cushioning and a slipcover to this old chair.  I could have just gotten another chair for Emma’s nursery, but this was the chair I rocked Zack in, so this will be the chair I will rock her in.  I’m very sentimental in that way.

Because this tutorial is a bit lengthy, I have divided it into two parts.

Adding Comfort to a Wooding Rocking Chair – Part One: Adding Padding

I began with a 2 1/2 yard sheet of 2 inch foam from the fabric store.  Using a large sheet of craft paper (a sheet of newspaper would work, too), I traced the outline of the chair’s seat.  I then used that as a pattern to cut the foam padding for the seat.  The foam is squishy enough that I was able to cut it with my scissors.  Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, since I will be slipcovering the chair.

Then, I shoved the remaining of the foam into the back of the chair so that I could measure it for the back cushion.  Using a marker, I drew lines roughly along the edges.

I trimmed the foam on the lines.  Then, I turned the chair around and marked the height of the foam on the back.  I wanted my foam to be a little higher than the actual back of the chair.  I marked that the same way I did on the sides of the foam.

I cut the top part of the foam in an arch so that it was similar to the natural line of the chair.  Once it was cut, I draped it in some fabric to see how it would look once it was slipcovered.

I decided I wanted to round the arch a little bit, so I cut a view wedges of foam to add to the arch and covered those pieces in batting.  Why?  I don’t know.  I just thought it was a smart thing to do to help keep the little wedges in place.  Heh.

Then, it was time to move on to the arms.  I cut a length of foam long enough to cover the arms, and then I cut that piece  in half lengthwise, making it only about an inch thick instead of 2 inches.  To hold it in place, I tied little bits of ribbon around the foam and the arm.

Hilarious, huh?  Well, it works.  🙂

I finally had a comfy rocking chair.  Just adding 2 inches of foam made all the difference in the way this chair feels.

It’s  not pretty right now, but we’ll fix that next week with a custom slipcover.  I’m looking forward to showing you the finished project!